Creating Juvenalian Mirrors in Reading Isidore Okpewho’s The Last Duty

Abstract

Abstract A great deal of African literature attempts to create Juvenal mirrors in addressing topical issues that confront aspects of society itself. This essay argues that Okpewho’s The Last Duty employs Juvenal satires in exposing the follies and foibles of the society. Okpewho presents detailed description of the inhuman and devastating issues, including corruption, wickedness, dishonesty and injustices that bedevil the society. Okpewho employs the candour and perceptiveness of narrators and characters to depict the suffering and violence in African society. The study examines selected Juvenal themes such as Corruption, People without Compassion are Worse than Animals, Soldiers are above the Law, The Decay of Feminine Virtue and The Vanity of Human Wishes.